Thursday, April 29, 2021

Won't You ReMake Me In Shackytown

Hick has been working on his Railroad Car Shack over in Shackytown. Seems he originally put the porch boards too close together. He thought a quarter-inch would be wide enough cracks to let water flow through. He didn't count on the fallen twigs and leaves from the trees that line Shackytown Boulevard.



The boards had started to rot, so Hick tore them off to rebuild his porch. His intention was to buy some new boards at Menard's or Lowe's. Then he discovered that lumber prices have gone up 250 percent. Heh, heh. I could have told him THAT, if he'd asked, and waited five days for me to read it in the news.
 
Anyhoo... Hick refused to pay so much for wood, and salvaged some that he'd saved when he dismantled the deck of Back Creek Neighbor Bev. No, he's not leaving them at odd lengths like in the picture. He's going to drop a chalk line on there and saw them off.

As you can see, the side of his shack themed shed has also suffered water damage. The solution for that is to cover it with a 2 x 6 board, repaint the whole side, and extend the porch farther over the side so rain will pour off onto the porch, and not get blown in against the wall. He worked on it all morning Tuesday, when we had bright sun and temps up to 81 degrees.



He sawed off the porch, now with a half-inch gap between the boards. The 2 x 6 board is in place, some of it unseen down under the edge of the porch, the rest painted black. I see new trim around the door, but it seems as if another coat or two of paint might be forthcoming. I think the original plan was to paint this shack themed shed a maroon color, like an actual railroad car. Maybe that's on hold.



Here's Hick's final photo from Tuesday. He's added more accoutrements. As for the paint-thirsty walls, I do know that Hick had a story of looking for paint at Lowe's, seeing a tiny container for $12, then spying a GALLON on top of the shelf for $12. So he said he took the gallon, and the guy mixed it for him, and he only paid $12. I didn't listen close enough to remember the color. I DO know that it rained all day Wednesday. So I doubt the new paint is seen in this picture. 

You can see that Hick has extended the roof out over the porch. I wouldn't want to sit under it during a rain, though. Not even taking swigs from that moonshine jug.

8 comments:

  1. I'm thinking that could be an air B & B. Hick sure is handy.

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    1. Heh, heh! You'd think so, when you see what he's doing on the inside. Hick knows his way around lumber and power tools.

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  2. Moonshine was once considered medicinal, back in the middle ages. But, I would hate to sit out there in a rainstorm.

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    1. Boxers used to be the "anesthesia" for surgery performed by barbers, who were the "surgeons." I'd rather take my moonshine medicine than risk an operation!

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  3. I can almost hear Hick say, "You don't drop a chalk line Val, you snap it!"

    That is one fine looking shack.

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    1. I can hear him saying it, too! Good thing he doesn't read my blog. I could picture him fiddling around with the chalk line, but didn't have the right word in my head while typing it up.

      Tomorrow you'll see a picture of the inside of this fine shack, which I'm pretty sure shows evidence of a chalk line!

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  4. It's a fine looking shack with a nicely decorated porch, but why not extend the roof so the rain falls onto the ground beyond the porch? That way the porch timbers won't rot from rain so fast. Has he sealed the timbers against the weather?

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    1. If the shack had a regular roof over the porch, it would ruin the concept of a railroad car. Shackytown is for THEMED SHEDS, you know!

      I don't know if he's sealed these boards. They came from the pool deck of Back Creek Neighbor Bev, so they might be treated lumber, or have already had sealer applied before Hick dismantled the deck

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